Making a Difference in Texas

Colliers USA Foundation

On August 25, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in South Texas, bringing with it winds exceeding 130 mph. Extreme rainfall has pummeled the region and many within the Colliers family and the surrounding community have been impacted by this storm. They need our help. Your donation can make a meaningful difference for those putting their lives back together.

At Colliers, we are one family and it is in these times of need we must rely on each other most. Through the Colliers USA Foundation, we are collecting donations to support the relief effort. Please contribute what you can to support the folks in Texas.

Colliers USA Foundation

Relief and Fundraising Efforts

The Colliers USA Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports disaster relief and recovery efforts through social giving campaigns. We support recovery and redevelopment initiatives to rebuild homes, schools, businesses and entire villages affected by natural disasters; offer financial and in-kind support to victims of natural disasters, such as food, clothing, and temporary shelter; and work with local governments and developers to facilitate redevelopment of affected areas in an efficient and timely manner.

You Can Help Today

Your donation goes directly to provide financial and other support and relief to victims of disaster, both domestically and abroad, to aid in recovery and redevelopment activities.

Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Saturday, obliterating villages and setting off a deadly avalanche on Mt. Everest.

To date, the official death toll has risen above 4,000 people, with the number expected to climb in the coming days. At least 7,000 are known to be injured. There are shortages of water, food and electricity, and concerns of outbreaks of disease. It's clear that the relief and humanitarian efforts will need all the support they can get to help the country as the people of Nepal stabilize and recover.

Support Oklahoma City

On the afternoon of May 20, a massive tornado struck the Oklahoma City area. Hundreds have been injured, and dozens killed. The tornado, estimated to be two miles wide and with winds of nearly 200 m.p.h., struck hardest in the suburb of Moore, OK. As disaster relief begins, the Colliers USA Foundation is collecting donations to assist in aid and reconstruction efforts for those whose lives have been disrupted by this disaster. In accordance with the Foundation's charter, all donations will be distributed to non-religious/non-political causes.

Sandy Relief

On October 29, the Eastern Seaboard was struck by Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Our neighbors in New York and New Jersey were hit particularly hard. And as winter approaches, it seems the worst is not yet over for the many who are still displaced by the storm.

The Colliers USA Foundation is collecting donations to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts for those whose lives have been disrupted by Sandy. In accordance with the Foundation's charter, all donations will be distributed to non-religious/non-political causes in consultation with our professionals locally.

Nepal Relief

Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Saturday, obliterating villages and setting off a deadly avalanche on Mt. Everest.

To date, the official death toll has risen above 4,000 people, with the number expected to climb in the coming days. At least 7,000 are known to be injured. There are shortages of water, food and electricity, and concerns of outbreaks of disease. It's clear that the relief and humanitarian efforts will need all the support they can get to help the country as the people of Nepal stabilize and recover.

Katrina Relief

The Colliers USA Foundation Responds to the Needs of Those Suffering from the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Colliers USA Foundation allocated donations between two organizations: the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, International. In doing so, REApplications, the web-based real estate software solution company, matched industry funds donated to Habitat up to $5,000.

Additionally, as a non-profit mission, Lee Arnold of Colliers | Tampa Bay | Central & SW Florida has asked that each Colliers office assist him in locating excess space that can be used for recovery.

Our Past Fundraising

The Colliers USA Foundation began in response to natural disasters that affected thousands of people worldwide, especially the tsunami disaster in December 2004 that claimed nearly 200,000 lives, rendered hundreds of thousands of people homeless, and caused billions of dollars in damage. Since its inception, the Foundation has responded to natural disasters around the world, including those affecting the Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Haiti, New Zealand, Japan, and the United States.

In response, the Foundation quickly mobilized support. Working with our Asia counterparts, we collected donations and channeled them directly to the local relief effort through Global Giving. Donations were also used to purchased portable solar-powered battery units through a campaign sponsored by Aspect Solar, who partnered with world-famous mountain climber Ed Viesters to deliver them to remote villages in Nepal, where power is especially hard to come by.

Through Fundacja Stupa House, additional funds were used to help reconstruct monasteries that were severely damaged or demolished. Not only spiritual centers, these facilities also often also serve as homes for young children and other lay people in need.

Helping Those Affected by

Hurricane Sandy

On October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy, the deadliest and largest Atlantic hurricane on record, struck the Eastern Seaboard. Current estimates put damages at about $75 billion, a total surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina. In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. In New York City, the storm flooded streets, tunnels and subway lines and cut power in and around the city.

In response, the Foundation collected and allocated donations to support Feeding America, which assisted in relief efforts for those whose lives were disrupted by Sandy.

Learning to Live:

Rebuilding a School in the Philippines

Through the night of November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the central islands of the Philippines, completely devastating many communities. One of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, the typhoon destroyed more than a million homes and killed more than 6,000 people.

In the immediate aftermath, Colliers International staff in the Philippines donated food, clothing and emergency supplies and spent time repackaging supplies for distribution at the government’s Central Relief Operations Center in Manila. At the same time, the Foundation established the Colliers Philippines Typhoon Fund as a vehicle for global staff to donate in support of a longer-term reconstruction.

In February of 2014, the Foundation identified the Curva Elementary School as a reconstruction project that desperately needed support. Sitting atop a hill in Medellin, northern Cebu, the Curva School serves 540 students. Six of the school’s 11 classrooms had been completely destroyed, and the others were unusable. Staff contributions to the Foundation were enough to fund the reconstruction of two classrooms. To help construct the remaining nine classrooms, Colliers teamed with project-management affiliate JPM, the Harvard Club of the Philippines, and clients Cognizant and The Results Company to fully fund the project through the Aboitiz Foundation.

In December of 2014, the first fully-fitted classrooms were ready for use. Students returned to their studies at the fully operational school, complete with a new library and supplies, in early June of 2015.

It Takes a Village:

Rebuilding in Sri Lanka

On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck beneath the Indian Ocean near Indonesia, generating a massive tsunami that claimed more than 230,000 lives in fourteen different countries, one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded.

As a reflection of our culture of commitment to the world community, Colliers developed the Kirinda Trust as a way to leverage our people’s skills and expertise to assist tsunami victims. Through the Trust, Colliers raised funds to launch the Kirinda Village Reconstruction Project, an innovative and internationally recognized effort to completely restore a 67-family fishing village.

In Kirinda, Colliers property consultants collaborated with Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, hailed by Time Magazine as one of the Top 100 innovators of the 21st century. Ban’s radical vision embraced local traditions and materials: All wood for the project was purchased from local tree farms, ensuring the recycling of money in the local economy. Innovations including street lighting powered fully by solar were also introduced. Together, the team developed the highest standard designs, used the most appropriate local materials and consulted local experts and the local people to ensure the end result matched the needs of the displaced families. The project is now regarded a benchmark for tsunami reconstruction work in Sri Lanka.

In 2007, MIPIM awarded Colliers International the prestigious Residential Development award for their work on the project. The project’s success also inspired MIPIM to announced a ‘green building’ award in 2008 for buildings designed and used in a “sustained, ecological manner.”

A Helping Hand for

Haiti

On January 10, 2010, a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince, affecting nearly 3 million people and decimating the country’s infrastructure. In response to the massive devastation and loss of life and damage to property, Colliers established the Haiti Earthquake Aid Fund through the Foundation. All donations went to the American Red Cross for the International Relief Fund for the Haiti earthquake.

A Show of Kindness after

Katrina

In the early morning on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. The storm itself did a great deal of damage, but its aftermath was catastrophic. Levee breaches led to massive flooding, displacing hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama from their homes, and causing more than $100 billion in damage.

In the immediate aftermath, Lee Arnold of Colliers Tampa Bay, Central & SW Florida reached out to local Colliers offices to help locate excess open space that could be used for the recovery effort. The Foundation also helped those in need by collecting and allocating donations to the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, International.

Contact

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Donation Information

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